UNESCO World War Shipwrecks in Southeast Asia – threats of marine pollution and looting

The event, which took place on the 6th - 7th of December, 2023 was organised in the framework of the 2001 Convention in South-East Asia and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, towards the completion of SDG 14, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. The event brought together policy makers, international and national experts associated with maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH), and representatives of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Viet-Nam in Jakarta, Indonesia. Within the Session 4 International Assistance and Cooperation to Fight against the Environmental Threats of World War Shipwrecks, Dr. Sven van Haelst (VLIZ) presented on behalf of the REMARCO consortium results from the North Sea Wrecks project. As a result, concerns about the remaining munition onboard of war wrecks were expressed in the final recommendations of the meeting. Further, participants agreed to consult their National Commissions for UNESCO and Permanent Delegations to UNESCO to take note of the recommendations made.